The home sewing industry is sorely lacking in good longitudinal data. The Association for Creative Industries does a survey every few years about the crafts industry as a whole, and Quilts, Inc. does the same for quilting but granular data about the sewing pattern market is very hard to come by. This makes it hard to know how the industry is changing.
Those of us who are involved in the sewing community know that over the past 10-15 years independent sewing pattern designers have poured onto the scene, many of them creating thriving businesses with lots of momentum. This year, I think we’re seeing hard evidence of their impact on the industry for the first time.
Just a few weeks ago, on November 3, CSS Industries, a publicly traded company that specializes in gift ribbon and seasonal gift products, bought Simplicity Creative Group from Wilton Brands for $64 million. A year ago, in December of 2016, CSS acquired the McCall Pattern Company for $14 million, which means that now this single company owns all of the legacy American sewing pattern brands: Simplicity, McCall, Butterick, Vogue (together known as “the Big 4”).
Although at first glance this consolidation might seem to present a monopoly, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the government agency that is in charge of breaking up monopolies, doesn’t think it is.
That’s new and I think that it’s really significant.
Back in 2000 when a similar merger was proposed it did face a challenge by the FTC. In 1999 a decorative trim company called Conso International purchased Simplicity. A year later when Conso tried to purchase McCall the FTC sought a preliminary injunction to block the acquisition. “Conso’s purchase of McCall would result in the combined firm controlling more than three-quarters of the U.S. unit sales of domestic home sewing patterns,” stated the complaint. After the challenge Conso dropped the sale attempt.
And yet here we are, 17 years later, presented with a similar merger that was met with no challenge.
So what’s changed?
I think there are several possible factors, perhaps some working in concert.
One possibility is that the home sewing pattern industry as a whole has simply shrunk. In the 1970s the interest in sewing began to decline as women entered the workforce in larger numbers and, at the same time, it became cheaper to buy ready-made clothing than to sew. Perhaps that trend is simply continuing, although I don’t think it is.
The distribution channels for Big 4 sewing patterns are shrinking as well. In 2017 Hancock Fabrics filed for bankruptcy closing its 185 stores leaving many consumers with just two places to buy sewing patterns from the legacy brands: JoAnn and Wal-Mart.
It’s possible that the pricing structure of Big 4 patterns has also undermined their profitability. Although priced between $8-17, big box chain stores often have .99 pattern sales that get consumers accustomed to buying patterns at a steep discount.
Some or all of these factors may have contributed to the shrinking market for Big 4 patterns, but it’s also possible that the FTC didn’t challenge the merger due to a change in government regulation. In 2000 acquisitions valued below $78.2 million could go unchallenged by the FTC. In 2017 that threshold was raised to $80.8 million. Although the raise is proportionally small, perhaps a challenge would have taken place had the old threshold still been in place.
Yet a fourth possibility, and the one that I think is most likely, is that the home sewing market is facing real competition for the first time in nearly a century. To me this unchallenged merger is evidence of the impact of independent sewing pattern companies.
Independent Pattern Businesses are Thriving
In the 1980s and 90s there were independent sewing pattern companies including Indygo Junction, Marcy Tilton, and Folkwear, among others. The barrier to entry to get into the business was high, though. Patterns had to be printed, requiring a steep upfront investment and it was challenging to reach a wide enough customer base to make a profit. Companies would sell patterns mail order, advertising in the backs of women’s magazines.
But the internet has radically changed the sewing pattern industry, lowering the barrier to entry for independent designers significantly and making it possible to build an audience directly. There are now hundreds of indie pattern companies, maybe more. Many are very small, but some are grossing annual profits in the millions. Deepika Prakash, founder and owner of the sewing pattern community Pattern Review which has over 400,000 members, explains, “From my vantage point, I see an explosion of independent pattern makers and there is a new company springing up each week. These are exciting times for the sewing industry for sure and I am loving it!”
These new companies are flourishing not only because technology has made it possible, but also because they’ve innovated on a product that wasn’t meeting consumer needs. By the 1940s the format of home sewing patterns was generally established: an envelope with styles on the front and a size chart with materials requirements on the back containing tissue templates and an instruction sheet. At the fabric store consumers would sit down at a counter, leaf through the pattern catalogues to choose a style, than take the pattern home to sew. The pattern assumed you already knew what you were doing.
Without real competitors, the product stagnated, that is until sewers connected with one another online. It turned out that there was a lot of room for improvement.
A Stagnant Product Is Ripe for Disruption
Sewers were searching for patterns that more closely resembled ready-to-wear clothing and that came in a larger range of sizes. They were also frustrated that the instructions in Big 4 patterns assumed a level of prior sewing knowledge that many people today simply don’t have. The option to download a pattern instantly, print it out, and begin sewing right away rather than having to go to the store was attractive. And these consumers were hungry for a community of support and inspiration to bolster them as they sewed. Independent pattern companies have met every one of these needs faster and in many cases more effectively than the Big 4.
Many of today’s new sewers have little to no sewing training. The language of sewing used in a Big 4 pattern can prove challenging for these consumers to decipher. Maggie Powell is a sewer in Durham, North Carolina. She told me, “Indie patterns are just so much more descriptive. The big pattern companies still write their patterns with the assumption that you have been sewing for your entire life or your mom has been and you can just go next door and ask for help.” For Powell access to independent patterns with instructions written in plain English made sewing possible.
Taping together a PDF pattern is by nature somewhat cumbersome, many independent designers offer files that make it as easy as possible for the consumer, including copy shop versions prepped for large format printers. The legacy brands have a long way to go to catch up. Around 2011 the Big 4 began offering digital downloads, but their system was poorly executed requiring customers to install specialty software, limiting download attempts, and offering patterns formatted in a way that created a lot of waste.
Many independent designers offer both print and digital options in order to serve all customers well. Ironically, the majority of indie designers have their tissue templates printed at McCall’s printing facility in Manhattan, Kansas.
Independent designers offer sewalongs for patterns using photos to show every step. They connect with customers through their blogs, on Instagram, and in Facebook groups where customers can go to seek inspiration and ask questions. In the spring of 2014 McCall hired a social media manager, Meg McDonald, to begin to do the same. McDonald is now doing social media for all of CSS’s sewing brands.
Although the legacy brands are connecting with consumers online, they were late to the game and many independent companies surpass them in following and engagement. Colette, for example has 86.5K Instagram followers today in comparison with McCall’s 65.4K.
Over the past few years I’ve spoken with two highly successful independent pattern designers who have turned down offers from McCall and Simplicity to license designs, and I’ve got to assume there have been others. Whereas at one time signing a deal with a Big 4 brand was a way to become successful, today designers can establish profitable companies under their own brand.
Now There’s Real Competition
Still, many experienced sewers remain highly loyal to the Big 4 patterns siting the quality and consistency of the drafting, the large variety of styles available, and the low prices. Not everyone who sets up shop as in independent pattern designer has the skills to create a well-designed garment pattern. Prices for indie patterns range from $7-18 and are rarely deeply discounted, and independent designers can typically only release a handful of new patterns a year. There’s certainly room in the market for both independent and Big 4 patterns and many people sew from both.
Now that all of the Big 4 brands are under one corporate roof, though, I think the type competition will change. Rather than competing with one another, they’ll compete with the indie designers. Perhaps that’s already been happening.
In November Chris Munyan, CEO of CSS Industries, gave some indication of the company’s future plans in sewing. “We think about millennial shoppers and their interest in customized products,” he told an analyst. “I think providing home sewing offerings through both Simplicity patterns and McCall patterns gets us into that market…”
“It’s our intent to come up with simpler sewing pattern items which we believe appeal to the millennial sewer…as well as to expand digital offerings because traditional sewers use physical patterns, millennial sewers use physical patterns, but also have an interest in digitized patterns,” he said. “We already have started to offer digitized patterns, but we’re going to expand that offering.”
While the lack of data on the market as a whole makes it difficult to get a clear picture, the FTC’s failure to challenge the recent merger of the major sewing pattern brands could be seen as a signal that the market is shifting to include new competitors. I asked Munyan if CSS has further acquisition plans. In a written statement he responded, “At CSS we regularly look at all opportunities for growth and expansion within our chosen categories,”
I really wish there was data available on the size of the indie pattern business! If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them.
It feels impossible without some very different data which we don’t have – the stat about colette patterns having more followers than McCalls is interesting, but not indicative as potentially there are hordes of people using the big four who don’t have a significant online presence. Plus there will be lots of followers who don’t even sew, or who have never bought a pattern from them.
As part of sewcialists TNT month I tracked which designers people posted about (https://sewcialists.wordpress.com/2017/12/06/sewcialiststnt-stats-nerd-alert/) and while there were surprises in the analysis for me, the lack of big four wasn’t really unexpected. It still only speaks to relative proportion of use rather than actual volume.
You could make some conclusions with a wide ranging survey (assuming we could somehow get to the people who wouldn’t usually be online etc), but the only way would be for indie designers to disclose their pattern sales volumes or earnings, both of which feel a bit confronting for those people!
That’s a really interesting post, Chloe. Thank you for sharing it here. Although clearly we’re only looking at very plugged in subsection of people who sew, the graphs really illustrate the huge number of competitors out there when it comes to sewing pattern companies.
I have been trying desperately to find a particular Simplicity pattern. #1361 western stretch show shirt. It is completely sold out everywhere and now I hear it was discontinued. How can I get a large size version of this pattern? Resized a small version but I want larger sizes without the distortion. I have a recently damaged right hand and it’s very painful redrawing the smaller sizes as well. Please let me know who I can talk to to get this pattern!
We aren’t affiliated with Simplicity, but you could try reaching out to them directly.
To Cynda – Try looking on eBay or Etsy for your out-of-print (OOP) pattern. Or better yet, google “Simplicity 1361” and you will be given places where it might be available.
There was an anonymous google form a lot of members of the FB PDF Designers Only group did earlier this year. The results were really interesting! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TvOqmsMbSvFt5uJygpsQ3W_4mb45QPuR60_bSyhEpKo/edit#gid=742393494
That’s also super interesting! Thank you to everyone who shared some data, no matter how incomplete it might be. Some is better than none!
A proper market study of the sewing pattern business, including Big 4 and Indie designers would be fascinating… Unfortunately, the Big 4 / Big 1 are much more likely to have the financial means to commission such a study…
I have been sewing since I was a young teen. I am now 71yrs old. I like to sew and I like to mix and match patterns, I have no aspirations of being a designer. I just want new designs to sew. So what are my options? I am also retired and live on a limited budget. I am not going to pay $20.00 a piece or more for a pattern. That is just ridiculous! I make a lot of my own clothing and if it cost more to make why do it? I make them for the quality. I don’t like spending money on clothing and then have to re-stitch the seams because after one wash, the hem comes loose, or various other seams. Or and the fabric falls apart. I am happy for those who are making a big profit due to the change over, but I really could care less how much profit they make. I sew because I like it and it saves me money and generally it fits better. So again, what options do I have?
Interesting read. I wondered about the pattern instructions. I sewed all thru high school and college. Started back sewing when my kids were grown and out of the house. I was amazed that I could read a pattern anymore. I still have to read over and over to understand. I do wait for patterns to go on sale and usually buy McCalls and Simplicity. Full price can’t afford
I started sewing in the 9th grade, when it was taught in Jr. High School. I sewed my clothes for years until it became cost prohibitive. This year I bought a pattern from Vogue and I struggle to understand the directions! I should try an indie pattern!
I am an indie pattern designer, you should give us a try. There are some very good designers out there and most of us have a Facebook support group!
I too can’t follow the patterns. Anymore when I do sew clothing I revert back to my early years. Glad I have that knowledge.
Another I really love about indie patterns is the fact I can see the pattern created in so many ways. I often look at a pattern, indie or big 4, and think, ugh. But then I see it on social media in various fabrics and hacks and fall in love with it!
Interesting. The business of sewing.
It’s been decades since I made my own clothes due to full time career and family obligation. Never found directions difficult even with Vogue patterns as Home ec classes combined with my mom as a reference made translation easy. Have not attempted Indy patterns due to printer limitations, etc. Joanns and Walmart do not provide high quality fabric so the days of making a quality garment with the local fabric store as inspiration are non existent. Frankly, tactile contact is nonexistent for quality fabric and I equate that to the fact that my piers and younger are in the workforce as opposed to working at home.
I have been a sewer and a quilter for more than 40 years. I am a retired teacher and work part time at the local JoAnn Fabrics store. I think, since the local fabric stores closed their doors, JoAnn Fabrics has worked hard to meet the needs of sewers who want quality fabric for their garments and quilts. Recently, premium quilt fabric has been added to the selection of fabric at their stores. My fellow quilters have made many positive comments about the quality of the fabric offered to them by JoAnn Fabrics. Even though I no longer make garments, I have often asked customers who are purchased fabric in this area about their satisfaction with the fabrics offered by JoAnn Fabrics and have received numerous positive comments. Also, to encourage sewers to purchase patterns of the Big 4 and having realized that the price of patterns has risen significantly, patterns are always discounted 40% at JoAnn Fabrics. With the interest of sewers in mind, I think JoAnn Fabrics continues to make changes in its product offerings so it can hold a positive position in a competitive market.
Joanns doesn’t offer a range of cotton knits or cotton/Lycra knits. That’s what most people wear for casual clothing. Many sewists are looking to make casual, fun items for themselves and their children. Joanns only offers knits for kids.
Joanns fabrics are heavy on the polyester and light on natural fibers except for quilting cotton.
There is a huge hole in the retail market, but it is filled by online stores.
I like many of the fabrics JoAnn’s carries, but am so disappointed many of them are mostly polyester, if not 100%. That is probably what the ladies are referring to when they call it cheap fabric. I admit I’d prefer things that don’t static and cling, as well.
I began sewing in the late 60’s when every town had an independent fabric store and all major department stores had a fabric section. Now we are left with Joann, which has an excellent selection of quilting cottons but is lacking in natural fiber apparel fabrics, ie. cotton lawn, voile, oxford cloth, linen, silk dupioni, etc. My local store has a large selection of poly knits & poly silkies, tons of poly fleece (much of it ugly) and a very limited selection of linen & apparel cottons. Fortunately there are now a lot of online fabric shops, which do have regular sales, making their prices comparable to JoAnn.
That said, you can’t beat JoAnn for sale prices on patterns. I have given a few indie patterns a try but find many of the styles just a little too beginner/basic, while the big 4 offer so many more style options with each pattern. My main complaint is the sizing of the big 4 patterns, which are generally way off. I always sew a size or 2 smaller than the measurements indicate, which is still 3 sizes larger than what I buy in ready-to-wear. Experienced sewists know this, but it could prove very discouraging to a beginner.
Well I shop at my local Joanns and Super Joanns and I am disappointed in the selections. Cannot find decent choice of colors in crepe. Its all crepe back satin. I did find some crepe but they only have one color-white. Cannot find shantung. I used to make alot of outfits in shantung in the 1990’s. The silk is all polyester and there is no raw silk sold at all. Satin is so thin it might as well be used as lining. Choices in real linen are slim too. Forget about gabardine-some of the sales clerks referred me to twill. WRONG! Herringbone? Duh whats that?
I had to make a costume once and needed middy braid. Joanns does not carry and the young clerk didnt know what it was.
I finally found a decent store. Fabrictopia. Check one out in your area. Great selection and their bridal fabrics and lace are awesome.
I have been sewing for over 50 years and find patterns have also changed in their guide sheets. That is why I teach garment sewing in my area.
There are still local fabric stores, many of whom are now stocking indie patterns rather than big 4. I have sewn since I was 5 and I have no issue with instructions either in Big 4 or Indie patterns, but indie patterns are more likely to give instruction on such things as doing a full bust adjustment, or which edges to serge as a edge finish before construction.
I have three good fabric stores within reasonable driving distance where I can touch fabric, talk to an employee of the shop about pattern and fabric matches. Plus a lot of indie fabric shops that are online only will happily send you swatches for a minimal fee.
I started sewing for myself as a tall teenager with modesty needs in the 1960s. Much later I morphed into sewing for my tall children with their modesty needs. Later, I returned to sewing for myself again, still frustrated that there were no modest options in the patterns. Out of desperation I called Simplicity, told them that I have been needing to alter all necklines as well as hemline and sleeve lengths. I asked them if they would at least offer a modest view on their patterns for those of us who don’t have the greatest drafting skills. They were the only company that was willing to listen. Soon after my call they rolled out their “pattern hacking’ idea. At long last, I now don’t have to redraw every pattern anymore!
Do Millenials get Home Ec like we Baby Boomers did? What a shame if they did not have the opportunity.
I wish I had learned how to grade patterns. As I search for already modest patterns I find them among the vintage patterns. However, one cannot always get their desired size. Thus the need to grade the pattern. It would be great if the pattern companies kept their vintage patterns on file. How about pattern companies give a digital pattern that can be altered with software to the needed requirements? What a concept!
A small company has come up that offers modest patterns. They are far more expensive that the big box company prices and are not the most fashion forward. So much for being in the far minority.
This is an interesting article. I just started clothes sewing again, after a 20 year hiatus. I have fallen in love with indie pattern companies. The patterns are easy to tape together, they usually offer different lengths, sleeves, ruffles or pleats all in one pattern. I especially enjoy the tutorials and following on Twitter, FB, or Instagram. As an aside, I am retired and 65 years old.
That’s interesting to hear, Cindy. I’m curious how you first found out about indie patterns when you returned to sewing?
I will jump in Abby, if you don’t mind. Once you join a few sewing groups on Facebook, it’s impossible not to find out about indie/PDF patterns. I belong to several groups and PDFs definitely seem to be growing in popularity and for the reasons mentioned in the article – lack of clear instructions on the ‘Big 4’ paper patterns. Last year I did a 16 hour local community college course to learn to make men’s business-style shirts and even the instructor had problems understanding the pattern (I think it was a Simplicity one). Printing the PDF on a single sheet at the local office supply company seems to be the preferred option on my groups.
Abby, check out the sewing community at PatternReview.com. You will find an amazing wealth of information about indie patterns and designers as well as reviews of sewing patterns from all pattern companies (indie and Big 4). Great for online fabric sources, as well.
Yes, thank you. Deepika Prakash, the founder and owner of Pattern Review, is quoted here.
Very interesting. When I started sewing, around 1988, going to Joanns and leafing through the pattern books was a great outing. Now, those books don’t appeal to me at all. Takes too much time to flip through when online I can just type in “high low raglan” and I’ll find the pattern I need in seconds. The few times I have bought big 4 patterns in the last five years or so, it was in last resort situations. I am really excited to see what’s going to happen next. There are great designers that license with Big 4. Having access to them in the digital format would be wonderful. Surely it will up the competition, but that will be good too! The future of sewing is starting to seem incredibly interesting.
And most of the patterns in those Big 4 patterns are so very old-fashioned and plain boring. Also how many patterns for scrubs does one actually need? 🙂
So much better to have the 15th indie company release yet another tee shirt!
Touché
I do wait for the .99 sales at Hobby Lobby. I am teaching myself to sew. Love that there are so mini classes and YouTube videos. Started when my granddaughter was born 5 years ago. Usually only do Halloween costumes though since fabric is so expensive that not really cost effective to make clothes.
I’m 68 and getting ready to start sewing after 39 years of not sewing. I found indie patterns while searching for material online. Almost every fabric site has an affiliate PDF pattern company. That’s how I found them and almost all of my fabric is bought online.
I think if CSS/The Big Four aren’t worried about the future, they should be. I have been very happy with downloading indie patterns in the last couple of years. Recently, I purchased a Simplicity pattern to download and it was a very annoying process, to download their program and get the file. Also, I just bought Cashmerette’s Ames jeans pattern as well as the online course to help me get it right. I am very excited to start and know there is a community there to give me feedback and cheer me along. That’s something CSS does not have.
I gave up on that Simplicity download system after needing to contact the download company several times to try and get the system to work (it never did). In the end, I wrote off my money and looked for a similar pattern elsewhere.
If one shops it out correctly, sewing your own clothing can/will save money – as well as, offering individuality in styling. Shows like “Project Runway” are actually helping make sewing a comeback, in my opinion. Additionally, it would really be nice if some of the sewing/fabric shops would offer classes that were more for adults learning to sew, and not plopped in the middle of the store for the class (as shoppers are all around you). I learned to sew in the 8th grade, and it stuck with me for a time…I dropped it for a while, and now am back into it again; realizing I can sew garments that will last longer than RTW garments.
I believe the The Great British Sewing Bee series has resulted in the millions of extra sales of sewing machines in the UK and a range of new sewing mags. I can’t believe my partner who has no interest in my sewing actually sat and Project Runway and TGBSB with me commenting all the way through.
This is all fascinating information and for me, it’s been wonderful to watch how the internet has change the home sewing industry. I will be interested to see in how the Big 4 compete with indie brands, as I’ve already seen many collaborations between the two.
I think you’re absolutely right! It is no longer a monopoly. I have a hoard of Big 4 patterns and a steadily growing (but much smaller) collection of indy patterns, print and mostly PDF. Because the indy patterns are (usually) more expensive*, I just have to choose them more carefully. Luckily, there are so many ways to see the designs already made up by others so I make much more informed decisions. I hope the Big 4 do start to “compete” with the smaller brands and offer more cutting edge styles. I am a little dismayed to hear the CEO say they will focus on “simpler” styles – I think all 4 offer enough simple styles, the instruction sheets just need to be fleshed out a lot more. Easy, no-closure, no shape garments are great for teaching an 11 year old to sew her own dress but as a curvy woman I can’t wear most of them, I would prefer more shaping and closures etc if they expanded the instructions to a booklet or even a download link for expanded instructions inside the pattern.
*Seamwork patterns are quite inexpensive though, I’m really enjoying the styles and the more beginner friendly pattern and instructions
Hi Abby,
This is a great article. Thank you for keeping us all up to date on the home sewing industry. You do it so well. I love all the changes that have come about as a result of the internet. It has really brought the sewing community together and I love being a part of it. It will be very interesting to watch how this continues to change in the future.
My decline in sewing garments (I have a degree in Home Ec with a specialization in Textiles etc) has been a combination of things. #1) the Big 4 patterns are cost prohibitive; $17 for a pattern is ridiculous.. and downloaded indie patterns take a ream of paper and then time to sort through and put the size together that I want. #2…and the biggest reason….I can’t find quality garment fabric. If I’m going to spend time sewing a garment, then I want the best fabric in hand, color and style. Independent fabric stores have mostly gone by the wayside and ordering online is not the best when picking garment fabric. (pictures don’t tell anything about quality).
This is an excellent point. When I was a kid, even our relatively small town had several fabric stores and they all carried garment fabric. In fact, they were probably mostly garment fabric. It seems that now you see mostly “quilt shops” which carry mostly quilting cotton and a few other substrates that are distributed by the quilting cotton manufacturers.
I’ve been sewing for 40+ years. I’ve noticed lately that the instructions are nearly impossible to decipher. There have been a few that I couldn’t understand but knew what to do because of my past experience. How is a beginner supposed to know? A year ago I bought an animal pillow pattern that made no sense on the material requirements. It turned out there were several layers of fabric used of different patterns and colors but that’s not how the cutting instructions read. I had a very knowledgeable person helping me at JoAnn but we were both stumped.
I have been a sewer since the 70’s and eventually became proto sample maker in apparel industry. I appreciate the abundance of sewing patterns now available in the market. I have always really enjoyed browsing and purchasing big 4 and consider them good resource for basics. Definitely directions were always a challenge, but found Kwik Sew, Vogue and Butterick my favs. For Indie patterns, depends on what you like and sizes you need, but I believe all have something to offer. I don’t like to buy digital patterns, so I always order brands that deliver paper.
Hello everyone,I have found all this information re patterns, I am 71 years old and have been sewing from when I was 4 years old first by hand then by machine.My mum had a Singer 306 this was a great machine it was the first to sew fancy patterns using a cam to change stiches . enough of this back on track I will admit to not having to buy patterns these days but I shall look into this Indie way my sewing now is making Dolls clothes -barbies and Ken and all sizes of the cabbage dolls little different to making regular clothes but I still enjoy .Thanks Abby for a great article is was brilliant I have learnt so much. Merry Christmas to You and yours and may that merry feeling fill your house with pleasure and joy….Bernadette- Corryong Victoria Australia
I find, for the most part, that the instructions written for Big 4 patterns are poorly written, often with steps missing. I have their patterns from the 50s – 70s, and they are clearly written and easy to understand. They need to hire better writers if they want to sell patterns! When I find an indie company with clearly written instructions, I quickly become a loyal customer.
I’m in the UK and we don’t have access to the big price discounts that US customers enjoy from the big four, so their sewing patterns are similar in price to indies. I’m 57, learned to sew at school and agree that instructions can take a bit if thinking through but I’m quite happy to look up anything I’m unclear about in a reference book so that’s not too much of an issue. The thing I have a problem is with the sizing, with so many of the big 4 patterns the included ease is far too generous so that if you make a garment by using their size reference chart it will all too often be far too big. Their size charts do not reflect the shape of most women, with the waist measurements being rather small in comparison to bust and hip but even that I could cope with if the finished garment somewhat reflected the size it was supposed to be. I’m not suggesting that all indies have it right, that would be highly unlikely, but the few I have tried have been very good. I also think Burda sizing is pretty good and has stayed true even though they have had some alignment with Simplicity in recent years. I’d love to love the big 4 as they have so many styles available but they have limited value to me at the moment.
I am lucky to have fabric stores in my city and that I don’t have reservations about buying fabric online. I am lucky that I adore Burda magazine and know I can get a well fitting pattern. I am lucky that I own 700+ patterns and about 95% are Big4. My stash is deep. I am lucky that because of this I then don’t feel the need to spend time taping sheets of paper together or paying for plotter printing after paying premium prices for patterns.
I’ve worked out my Big4 sizing and can make standard adjustments and go. 90% of the time, everything is good. I’m so over the Big4=Bad; Indie=Good angle. Indies like Jalie and Style Arc and In-House patterns?? YES! please!! Indies with their dodgy drafting but no matter because they have a huge blog and IG following! Nope. All the nopes. I’m not giving you $20 for your unoriginal New Look knock off…or for the 1,000th iteration of a tee-shirt.
I think this belief stems from the fact that bloggers turned designers or other indies are on social media and people like to belong so they will sew and tag and it appears that the Indie market is taking over. IG? Maybe? In real life? I still believe the vast majority of sewers are not posting every garment they make on SM. I know many of us (!!!) have tried popular patterns and have been grossly disappointed.
Now what does bother me about this news is that they’ll make “simpler” patterns. OH. GOD. NO.
The answer is to dumb down instead of challenging people to rise up? Let the others produce swing dress #85 or A-like skirt #346. I hope they don’t ruin Vogue :/
Excellent points!
I agree. Dont dumb it down. Good points.
I strongly agree!
KS, I completely agree with everything you said.
Thanks Abby for the great read and your insight. I always learn something from your articles & podcasts.
Great article! I’m a home sewer who started with home ec. I loved learning with “Sewing with nancy” and library books. I hate the tissue paper patterns. NOW, I get the indie patterns from the net. I have started buying fabric online too, because I DON’T quilt. The quilting cotton is all I can find in the stores. Whats with that?? Even the Big 4 patterns call for knit fabric!!! It’s no wonder that the stores have low sales.
I know what you mean – I am in Canada and have been so frustrated trying to find fabric.
There’s not much for fabric stores – it’s pretty much Fabricland or Marshalls. In September I started looking for suiting type fabric for pants and was told that they hadn’t gotten in their Fall fabrics yet! Fall fabrics should be in the stores no later than the beginning of August so that people can sew their fall wardrobe!
I was travelling in the Fall and tried shopping in stores in other cities (mostly the same chains) and found the stores were filled with thin novelty cottons (broadcloth) which would mainly be used for quilting, fleece, and various “silky” and “glam”spandex fabrics for making party dresses. Could not find hardly anything in cotton or cotton blends, no heavier fabrics except for denim (which I didn’t want). So much thin polyester and spandex, not much for jersey.
I hadn’t looked for fabrics for years but what I saw was so disheartening. The Fabriclands had filled 1/3 to half their spaces selling finished draperies! Where can you get quality fabric and actually feel the weight, and check for how it wrinkles?
People don’t need “simpler” patterns – There are several indie patterns I’ve tried that actually push you to try something new but the instructions are well-written. Seems pretty out of touch of the Big 4.
Also the last digital Big 4 pattern I bought clocked in at over 100 pages, with at least five that were just waste.
You have indeed one very interesting angle. The entire portrait would probably need to include very popular pattern magazines like Burda and Patrones. Burda of course also sales patterns in envelopes. Those magazines certainly take a fair share of the market, with the definite advantage of being delivered at home, of offerings fashion forward and retail wear inspired patterns. If CSS applies the logic of Facebook, Amazon and other big companies, they will buy the indi competitors to close them one by one. Other industries, like big breweries have done that in Canada as they were loosing huge shares of the market to artisanal breweries. Will see.
And keep in mind that CSS Industries is the US distributor of Burda.
Indie patterns are far too expensive, can lack knowledge with dodgy drafting, too often have restricted styles that everyone copies and are inconvenient. PDF patterns are not something I will ever buy for dressmaking. Handy for small projects but even bag making can produce pieces that you need to puzzle over requiring copious tape to put together (or a trip plus costs at the printers) – all at a premium price! Well, no thank you. Add vague sizing and random body shapes to base their collections on and I have more than a few reasons for avoiding. I taught myself sewing as a child and teenager using the big patterns as thee only instructions and they are far from being difficult to follow! Indie patterns and bloggers who reinvent the wheel have created a whole group of sewers who fumble their way through, never picking up the basics because referring to a proper book is too much of a chore. There is much that is shoddy about current sewing.
I don’t think those blanket statements hold up. They may be true for you, but not for everyone or in every case.
Interesting that this comment about blanket statements wasn’t said to people making blanket statements about Big4 patterns. So interesting.
It’s true to say that most things in life come down to opinion, including all the views held by yourself or other bloggers and what they choose to write about and why. Bias is inherent in most things that we all say or do. I am not an exception.
I loved this article, but the comments seem to show that there is a great deal of judgmental attitudes towards people of different financial classes, sewing abilities…even intellect as it relates to an ability to understand complex sewing instructions. I had always thought the sewing community was kind and supportive of makers/sewists/designers at all levels in their sewing journey. But now, I don’t know, some of these comments tell a different story.
As a person who buys pricey fabric and indie patterns when I’m able, the cheap fabric and Big 4 (on sale) when money is tight – I’d like to think that my work is not looked down on in any of these situations. I’m grateful to have all of these options available when I need them. It’s wonderful that sewing is a hobby accessible to everybody no matter their abilities or financial situation. I don’t think I’d be able to sew at all had it not been for my mother who worked at Joanns back in the 80’s. She got fresh picks of the remnant bin and was allowed to take home damaged Big 4 patterns – it can’t get much cheaper than that. I think I dressed quite well with what I had to work with. I also have a profound learning disability that makes reading patterns extremely difficult, it’s kind of offensive to see people proclaim that everybody should be able to try difficult techniques and understand complex pattern instructions. There is a place, a good place, for the simplest and the most complex. And there is no shame in wanting things to be written in simple terms. All levels can exist at the same time – everybody can choose what works for them.
I hope that any beginner or low income sewist, or one that struggles with reading patterns, who sees these comments, will not let embarrassment creep into their minds. I can guarantee that even those of us who have been sewing for decades think you are amazing, right where you are. Most of us are happy to help any sewist at any level, with any pattern and any quality of fabric….and tell you how awesome you are trying, even if you fail miserably.
Whatever happens to the future of sewing, I hope it includes sewists being less judgmental about others’ sewing patterns, fabric choices and abilities. My interpretation of changes within the Big 4 means they are realizing how much diversity there is amongst sewists and are trying to do a better job to see to the needs of all.
Thank you so much for this perspective, Wendy. I took a sewing class at a fabric store when I was in 8th grade and we sewed a vest from a Big 4 pattern. I had no prior knowledge and struggled mightily. I had no relatives who sewed and nobody to help me at home. I got the message loud and clear that if you didn’t already know the language of sewing you weren’t welcome and I didn’t try to sew again until I was in my 20’s. Sewing felt like an exclusive club where an ignorant person like me wasn’t welcome. So I’m one of those people for whom the world of sewing blogs made it possible to try again and to learn in a different way. Once I had a community of people online who could answer my questions without judgement I took off and sewing became a big part of my career.
I would be all for a pattern making class rather than buying from the big 4 or printing many pages that need taping together. That being said, I do have a hoard of the big 4, including some vintage patterns. I have altered them as needed for both size and style, (figured out from the School of Hard Knox lol). I would love to see the home garment industry boom again! We NEED better fabrics and this pattern dilemma is ridiculous!
I have gone back to sewing after a break of about 25 years and for me, it’s not so much I no longer understand the instructions, but the quality of paper they are printed on. The big four use paper so thin that they just don’t stand up to multiple use. The independents use a decent weight of paper, but I often cannot afford them!
I have two Big4 TNTs that I’ve used 8 times each. The paper is still usable.
It seems like with a lot of these comments it’s just bash the Big4. Funny as they’ve been around longer than pretty much all of us and yet we’ve see GOOD(Sewaholic) indies and bad (too many to name) fall by the wayside. And yet still this narrative continues that the Big4 are just awful and indies are the best thing since sliced bread.
It’s so tired.
I don’t think that was my argument in this piece. It’s not that Big 4 patterns are awful. I think they did fail to innovate for many years when everything moved online and in that time period other companies popped up who did.
In case anyone reading these comments is a fan, I’m pretty sure Sewaholic is still producing patterns. Tasia sold it to a new designer, but they are still selling her designs as well as producing lovely new ones.
This is an interesting article with many good points made, particular the point that the proliferation of independent pattern designers are giving the Big4 some competition. The independent designers challenge the Big4 to address the needs of various communities particularly regarding sizes and they offer different methods of learning which is definitely a good thing. I do however agree with much of KS’s sentiments.
I have been a pattern tester for Threads magazine for the past 7 years. I have tested both indies and Big 4 patterns (more indies than Big4). Many of the indie patterns I have tested have had major pattern drafting errors. Not all of them have the thorough instructions attributed to them here. The errors I have found in the Big 4 patterns are more like a pattern piece was labeled with the wrong number or occasionally an illustration may not match the instruction.
Many of the independent designers are re-iterations of the same basic T-shirt, pencil skirt or A-line skirt. There certainly are some very good independent designers out there but they are not the majority in my opinion. I agree that they took advantage of social media way before the Big4 did and thus their proliferation.
I am also confused by the assertion that the instructions in the Big4 assume you already know how to sew or have relatives that can help you. That was certainly the case back in the 19th and early 20th centuries but not anymore. While my mother did sew, she was not able to help me with the Big4 patterns I wanted to work with because she did not understand English. I would focus on the English instructions since they had the illustrations right next to them. English was my 2nd language and I distinctly remember sewing a notched collar blouse, pants, a shawl collar jacket and baby clothes for my newborn sister following those instructions. I don’t consider myself any smarter than the average person. I think nowadays there are different forums of learning thanks to the internet and the Independent pattern designers have been able to use this to their advantage. Some people learn better reading instructions, while others prefer illustrations, while others learn better interacting with others…all good, but that doesn’t mean you already need to know how to sew in order to use the Big4.
Thanks to Abby and all for an instructive article and discussion. Overall, I have 4 comments/takeaways:
1) I’m glad there is increased competition in the pattern-making world. If that brings us more innovative designs and choice, I’m all for it. Plus, isn’t it inspiring how many more designers, particularly women, are getting an opportunity to share their work and earn profits?
2) As a sewist, my pattern and fabric choices are driven by many things: budget, style, convenience, etc. I’m grateful to have both Big 4 and Indie patterns at my disposal. I pre-vet my patterns on Pattern Reviews as it helps me choose the best patterns for my purpose and avoid “lemon” patterns. I love checking out pics of what others have made on PR and IG. This has helped me grow as a sewist.
3) I really, really miss having great fabric stores nearby!! The number of online fabric stores is overwhelming, the differences in how they categorize fabrics is confusing, and ugh! I have to get better at online ordering.
4) While I wish there were more opportunities to sew in community with others where I live, I love the online sewing community and the encouragement and support I find there. Wendy Sloan, I am in complete agreement with your comments. Let’s SEW, celebrate our CREATIVITY, and SUPPORT one another!
Fabulous comments! I hope you are still enjoying sewing 18 months on! Did you find a local group to sew with?
I feel your pain. I live in New Braunfels Texas and recently found Fabrictopia in San Antonio, Texas. It has great selection of fabrics at warehouse prices. Nice thick satin, not that polyester crap at Joann’s. Beautiful bridal fabric and laces. An entire lace room. I highly recommend it. They also have another location in Houston, Texas.
I used to sew in the 70s and made practically all my own clothes back then. I teach youth sewing in my area and have found slot of people still interested in seeing. I developed a youth sewing camp in my area and offer it every summer. For contact info, thesewingexperience@gmail.com.
So much of the sewing industry has changed since the 1970’s! Everyone that I knew sewed regardless of their finances. Also, back then most of the fabrics purchased were manufactured in the USA. These fabrics were of generally higher quality than what you find now. Polyester was just being introduced and coming into it’s own. This fabric was revolutionary because it was produced at cheaper cost. Public schools and eventually colleges started dropping Home Ec/ FCS classes. When my children took these classes in the early 2000’s the had to purchase a pre cut pillow kit to sew. It is cheaper to purchase clothing now than sew if you are not looking for quality fabrics or workmanship.
It looks like the same thing is happening to the pattern industry as has happened to the Fabric Stores. There used to be the big three” Cloth World, Hancock’s & Jo-Ann’s. Now that there is just Jo-Ann’s, there is no competition ( at least not stone & mortar stores) and the selection and quality have both gone way down. I am hoping that what I think will happen won’t but unless we educate our youth and have competition in the marketplace then I think that the future of home sewing may not be what we all want.
Wonderful for so many posts.
I did my thesis with an analysis of Market Economics and how the curves that we have been through (increased spending vs
lowest spending) in the USA are impacting our Textiles Segment.
What I discovered with a prolonged recession, more clothing was discarded even though buying was also decreasing.
In this horrible pandemic of COVID 19, predictions are out of line, people are scared, not being able to buy due to closures of retail, all the way up the lines to textile manufacturers shutting down. Our immediate needs are human basic ones. Food, shelter, health. How long will this continue coupled with people now asking themselves “will I also die now”.
I plotted a low cost plan to address our society’s needs and wants in the long term (>greater than 10 years) with some short term additives , being implemented quickly and simply.
My study enables all people, the base of providing, time, money, and above all, hope.
Simply stated, a return to home economics in schools across America. Think on it for a bit.
The passing of a skill and a way of thinking that will die out at the end of my Baby Boomer generation.
There has been an upswing in the call for cultural continuation, such as dying languages with their
rich value of history in the words that are spoken.
Old skills empower newer generations with strengths
that are not just for sewing. These simple instructions spread into our core beliefs, creating multi
networks that will make us stronger, smarter and better people all around.
How to Sew on a button is the strongest and most basic of skills.
Sheri,
I would love to see home economics return to the classroom but alas, I don’t think it will happen, at least not in its traditional form. As an experienced sewer of more than 50 years I find the videos on You Tube and elsewhere to be much more informative. I realized when my daughter taught herself to knit from watching videos, that times have truly changed.
Having said that, offering a class in schools on fabrics, construction, sewing history, pattern construction and design and sewing machine repair might be really valuable. Augment this with online videos and it could be a fabulous elective that would be of interest to kids.
Its still offered in Virginia high schools. Starts in 7th grade and continues to advance up to 12th. It starts as a class called Family and Consumer Science. They do all the same home ec stuff the us older generation people did. As the kids get older they have electives to bra ch out into specialties like fashion design, various cooking classes, interior design, or continue in a mixed class that dabbles in everything. They also have various craft, needle arts and cooking clubs. I know not all school districts as as fortunate. If there are people interested in pushing for a return FCPS is a good model. The name changed and the opportunity to specialize in one or another aspect of Home Ec makes it seem different, but what the kids do is the same other than their access to technology. One bad thing however is they took away the sewing machines in middle school classes. Ridiculous, but liability is everything now.
Very beautiful I love it. I’m doing one myself . Thank you
These monopolies should be illegal. It artificially drives up prices for the sake of profit. I miss the 99cent or $1.99 pattern sales. I don’t want to pay $7 for a pattern or Collette (now Seamwork $16 a pattern. After paying for fabric and supplies, its cheaper to by the clothing in the store, not to mention the cost of time.